Improvement in adjustable carriage-tops



' O. B. NORTH. Adjustable Carriage Top.

No. 202,043. Patented April 2, 1878.

N-PETERS PHOTO LITHUGRAFHER, WASHINGTON D C UNITED STATES PATENT DFFICE.

OLIVER 13. NORTH, OF NEW HAVEN, CONNECTICUT, ASSIGNOR TO 0. B.

NORTH & 00., OF SAME PLACE.

IMPROVEMENT IN ADJUSTABLE CARRIAGE-TOPS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 202,043, dated April 2, 1878 application filed February 7, 1878. Y

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, OLIVER B. NORTH. of New Haven, in the county of New Haven and State of Connecticut, have invented a new Improvement in Adjustable Carriage-Tops; and I do hereby declare'the following, when taken in connection with the accompanying drawings and the letters of reference marked thereon, to be a full, clear, and exact description of the same, and which said drawings constitute part of this specification, and represent, in-- J Figure 1, a sectional side view; Fig. 2, detached view.

This invention relates to a device for holding collapsible carriage-tops in their extended condition, and allow of taking up the slack which is occasioned by use; and it consists in the construction as hereinafter described, and particularly recited in the-claim.

In illustration of this invention, I show it applied to a body-iron, by which the top may be adjusted to different angles of elevation, and which constitutes the subject of a second application, the adjusting device herein described being applicable to other body attachments.

To hold the top extended and allow its being collapsed, usually jointed arms are attached, one to each of the extended bows.

These joints, when extended, are incapable of further extension; hence, so soon as the covering stretches, the joints and the cover both become loose. In order to prevent this the two parts N M of the brace are hinged, one end of one to the forward bow, and the opposite end of the other to the other bow, the two jointed together at the center, and so that the two do not come into line when the top is fully extended, but are inclined, as seen in Fig. 1; hence their fullest extension is not attained at the fullest extension of the top. The joint comes in line with the central bow F, and onto this bow a socket, R, is attached, so that the braces N M, when the top is fully extended, are set into said socket, as seen in Fig. 2, which holds the braces in their extended condition. To contract or collapse the top, take the jointed ends of the braces from the socket, and the two outer bows may be drawn toward the inner, as indicated in broken lines, Fig. 1.

When from use the covering becomes stretched so as to be looser than when new, the socket B may be reset at a higher position on its bow, thereby necessitating a greater extension of the braces to fully expand the top, and consequently stretching the top to its fullest extent.

This part of the invention is not dependent upon the part first described, but is applicable to other constructions or arrangements of adjusting the top.

To prevent the accidental removal of the brace, a guard, S, is formed on the socket to overhang the braces which are formed on the socket, as seen in Fig. 2.

I claim- In combination with the adjustable bows of a carriage-top, a jointed brace hinged at one end to a front bow, and at the other to a rear bow, and a socket to receive and support the brace when extended, substantially as described.

OLIVER B. NORTH. Witnesses:

J. H. SHUMWAY, H. A. KITSON. 

